Robovision is
still an extremely clunky field, with wary humans having to wear
identifying tags or just keep out of any area robots are working in.
These strategies are a little too similar to "being enslaved by
electronic overlords" to be comfortable, so scientists are looking at
an insectoid sources for improved eyesight. To this end they've built
a flight simulator for flies. Yes, you read that right.

“I see a strong parallel between the evolution of robot intelligence
and the biological intelligence that preceded it. The largest nervous
systems doubled in size about every fifteen million years since the
Cambrian explosion 550 million years ago. Robot controllers double in
complexity (processing power) every year or two. They are now barely at
the lower range of vertebrate complexity, but should catch up with us
within a half century."

KASPAR (Kinesic and Synchronisation in Personal Assistant
Robotics) is a child-sized robot developed by Professor Kerstin Dautenhahn and
her team to study human-robot interaction. With a silicon-rubber face and an
aluminum frame body, KASPAR is a humanoid robot capable of human-like physical
responses.

It's official: robotics scientists are now just daring the things to kill us. An Aberdeen University have built a robot programmed to fulfill one objective no matter what, to evolve in order to do so, and to make use of extra materials when they're available. We're assuming the only reason they didn't call it "Terminator" is because they don't have enough to kill all the MGM lawyers. Yet.

Scientists are working on a robotic spy pterodactyl, and we assure you that this is a real engineering project and not an 80's cartoon series. The odds of a spunky kid and his annoyngi animal sidekick gaining control of the technology are almost zero. The unmanned aerial vehicle will use the advantages of one of the first vertebrates to master powered flight, and due to the lack of extinction-accelerating asteroids on the modern battlefield will suffer none of the drawbacks.

You know how you’ve been wanting a hot android companion programmed to reply, "Yes dear, you're absolutely right” in response to everything you say? Well, here’s some scientific justification for it; a new study has found that robot companionship is as good as the real thing. Well, at least when it comes to dogs. But in theory it may apply to human companionship too, since previous studies have found that a dog companion is better than a human friend in regards to health benefits.

Researchers at the University of Arizona have created a 6-inch-tall wheeled robot driven by brain impulses of a moth. The creation offers insights into the mechanism of the brain and how it works. As the moth observes activity around it, the signals from its brain are
translated and sent to a computer that directs the robot to turn toward
wherever the moth is looking.

The moth's vision has evolved over millions of years to accurately
guide the insect as it dodges predators or seeks mates. Although the
moth brain is the size of a grain of rice, the insect's ability to
detect motion is "amazing -- beyond anything we could build," said Charles M. Higgins, UA associate professor of electrical and computer engineering.

In many ways, Sperm is the perfect biological delivery system. It generates it’s own energy, can traverse rough terrain and knows how to hone in on its target to deliver the goods. While sperm delivers DNA, Cornell researchers are now borrowing ideas from sperm to provide energy for nanoscale robots aiming to deliver medication from nanosized medical devices.

This week a self-tuning guitar with robotic technology will launch to the delight of robot enthusiasts and rock stars alike. The guitar will let you jam out some heavy metal chords and then instantly retune for some lighter fare. The robot has a better “ear” than humans, which allows the guitar to instantly self-tune to a standard setting with six tuning presets the musician can switch to by pushing a button as they’re rocking out. The instruments are the first of their kind to have robotic ability. It works by a device in the bridge monitoring the pitch of the guitar. Motorized tuners automatically adjust the pitch of the strings.

The Blanket Project is a "behavioral sculpture" created by Nicholas Stedman, an interactive artist who is currently teaching and studying at the media robotics lab of the University of Buffalo. An ongoing project, it aims to create a fully autonomous robotic blanket that can "navigate through a bedroom or similar environment seeking out people for intimate encounters."